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30 May 2008

Observing or own minds would not truly be objective. Standing in front of a mirror is essentially subjective in nature. The pursuit of understanding our minds is much like looking at a mirror. It is essential to analyze the human mind with our own minds’. It seems apparent that this aspect poses as a negative variable to such a study, but don’t we know best as to what using the human mind is like? We most apt for carrying out self-examination, hence we are most suited to analyzing the dual nature of our own minds.

In his book called 'Human Mind', Professor Robert Winston added his thoughts on the tests in question and delivered his interpretation as such:

When a patient was asked orally ‘What job would you like to do?’, his reply was 'I want to be a technical artist' because he would be using the left side of his brain where his language centre would be located. When the patient was asked the same question in writing and asked to reply through Scrabble letters, he would form the words ‘car racer.’

Basically it was observed that the patient's right-brain had developed its own pleasures and desires. This then brings the question: "Do we all have dual-personalities in our brain? Does one of these sides survive without a language because it does not have a language center?"

Logic or Reason and Intuition or Emotion

As the word "dual" implies there are two components of the human mind, as there are also two hemispheres of the human brain. Many individuals have summed up a collaboration between these dualities. We have realized that our mental divisions consist of {logic or reason}, and {intuition or emotion}. Moreover our brain is divided into the left and right hemispheres. Studies conclude that when specific mental tests were carried out people who were more engaged in rational logical thought had more activity or domination in the left hemisphere of their brain.

Nevertheless, when experiencing strong emotions the right brain sparks more rapidly. There a many resources for study on this subject and results appear to be quite consistent. Indeed there seems to be a connection between mental/emotional states and the hemispheric dominance of brain wave activities. So it seems as though our brains' twofold structure relates directly to the dual nature of the human mind.

It's All About Hemispheric Dominance

Each one of these components appears to integrate into the minds of almost all human beings with variation on the possibility of combinations. This leads to an excess in human personalities, in part depending on the extent of hemispheric dominance. These combinations are separated into three distinct types of mixtures based on which part of the hemispheres dominates.

Most of us are dominated by either the left brain or the right brain, and only a minority are dual brained. Dual brained (Dual minded) people’s thought processes are dominated by neither hemisphere, but are evenly balanced between both hemispheres. We must take into consideration that we use both hemispheres commonly, thus the designation of dominance only measures where someone's brain activity occurs most successively, not exclusively.

This is very important because being left brain dominant, for example, does not mean someone uses only their left brain because it only means that left brain usage is higher than right brain usage.

The Types of Brain Dominance

The 3 types of brain dominance can be labelled as L-dominant, R-dominant, and D-dominant.

- L-dominant represents the Left-brain dominant individuals: Someone who is L-dominant has the personality type of someone who spends most of their mental energy on logic focused rational thought. The essence of their brain activity occurs in the left side of their brain and logic is their primary filter. Those on the far end of this type can sometimes seem cold or even emotionless.

- R-dominant represents Right-brain dominant individuals: On the other hand R-dominant personalities show more brain activities in the right hemisphere and mean that these type of people are more emotional. They usually look at life through the filter of their passions. Those at the extreme end of this personality type might sometimes seem too emotional or even irrational, most especially to the L-dominant.

- D-dominant represents Dual-brain dominant individuals: D-dominant individuals are people whose personality is made up of a balanced blend of both mental components. Their minds are dominated neither by logic, nor by emotions. Tests conclude these types of people use their brain hemispheres equally, and they view life through both logical and intuitive filters. D-dominants are hemispherically balanced.

Which Filter Do You Use to Approach Life?

Those who have left brain dominance take a much more scientific clinical approach towards life, whereas right brained individuals tend to see life through the filter of their "heart". What if brain dominance is in the middle?

When I took tests that measure hemispheric dominance, I've always found myself in the middle. Neither my left, nor my right hemisphere dominates; instead I use both equally. I fall into the group that scientist’s call dual brained. That doesn't mean I use more of my brain than anyone else, but when my synapses spark they are more spread out than most, with neither hemisphere dominating. This means I’ am a scientist and a poet, both an analyzer and an artist. I’ am someone who uses both logic and intuition equally and without any difficulty. As an advocate of balance, I believe that we should aim at perfecting our minds into a dual brained state. A polarized brain means a polarized person. Likewise, a balanced mind means a balanced person.

Should we desire this balance more than polarization?

With this question we are forced to reckon with objectivity; which seems improbable for me. As I have persistently tested as D-dominant, no doubt, this influences my perspective in favour of seeing "hemispherical balance" as a positive, hence a desirable mind set. However, here is a simple that will show a major issue in favour of this stance.

Imagine a large ball on display in a special showroom. The left half the ball is blue and the right half of the ball is red. The ball has been designed with the blue half facing west and the red half facing east. Indeed this sounds very much like the beginning of word math quiz, but believe me its not.

Now imagine your self standing south of this "Big Blue Red Ball" and looking at it northwards. To your left you see the blue half and to your right you see the red half. Then to the left of the ball you notice a man facing eastwards and who is looking directly at the blue side only.

Meanwhile on the right of the ball there stands a woman who can only see the red side.

These extremists limit their vision by going either all the way left or the right even though in the middle you can gain a wider perspective. From unique perspective of the middle the ball is much more visible overall and acknowledged as being blue and red not just one or the other. Therefore the wider perspective from the middle becomes a much more desirable place from which one can view and even experience life. Consequently this is why the "hemispherical balance" is such a significant concept.

If we polarize ourselves to either left or the right, we restrict our perceptions with limits. Thus we fail to see all that life can offer to us. With dual minds we broaden our perspective and achieve a desirable balance which can undoubtedly enhance our livelihood. If you find yourself observing life only through the filter of logic or if you only depend on intuition without logic, it is apparent that you must reach out towards being balanced.

Work the tendency you now neglect; expose yourself to a broad outlook from the middle. Pace towards a hemispherical balance and your life will be enriched. You will find heightened rationality and pleasure in life as a result.